Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Directs Police to Review Crisis Training

December 28, 2015

(CHICAGO) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling for a review of the Chicago Police Crisis Intervention Team after the latest police-involved shooting deaths in the city.

Emanuel made the announcement in a statement on Sunday, saying, “There are serious questions about [Saturday’s] shootings that must be answered in full by the Independent Police Review Authority’s investigation. While their investigation is underway, we must also make real changes within our police department today and it is clear changes are needed to how officers respond to mental health crises.”

On Saturday, Chicago police said they “accidentally” shot and killed 55-year-old Bettie Jones when they responded to a domestic disturbance. Jones was killed as well as a 19-year-old man who reports said may have had mental health problems.

The mayor said he has asked Chicago Police and the Independent Police Review Authority to determine “the deficiencies in the current training” for the Crisis Intervention Team, and to “determine what steps can be taken immediately to address them.”

The announcement comes as many critics have called for Emanuel’s resignation in the wake of multiple controversial police shooting deaths in Chicago during his term, including a video last month that showed an officer shooting Laquan McDonald, a black teenager, 16 times.